Medical care consolidation

On Oct. 1, the Army, Navy and Air Force begin the final two years of a multi-year transition to shift administration and management of their medical facilities to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) by October 2021,changes that are “transformational and far-reaching,” said Vice Admiral Raquel Bono, outgoing DHA Director. “For the first time in our modern military’s history, a single agency, the DHA, will be responsible for all the health care the Department of Defense delivers to our 9.5 million beneficiaries,” Bono said. “Whether you receive your care at an on-base facility or through our TRICARE civilian networks, DHA will oversee your care. This consolidation will drive higher levels of readiness for operational and medical forces and integrate health care services to standardize practices across the entire Department, which means patients will have a consistent, high-quality health care experience, no matter where they receive their care.”

The DHA will stand up 21 large markets - groups of geographic military treatment facilities (MTFs) typically anchored by a large hospital or medical center - that operate as a system sharing patients, providers, functions, and budgets across facilities to improve health-care services.

• Establishment of a Small Market and Stand-Alone MTF Organization (SSO): For stateside hospitals and clinics not aligned to a large market, this office, will provide managerial and clinical oversight. As with the large markets, the Military Departments will continue managing the MTFs until they are realigned under the SSO. There are 16 small market MTFs and 66 stand-alone MTFs assigned to the SSO. •Establish Defense Health Regions overseas: The transition period for standing up Defense Health Regions in Europe and Indo-Pacific begins in 2020.

All MTFs overseas would then report to their respective DHA regional offices. The Indo-Pacific region has 43 MTFs, while the European region has 31. For a complete list of markets and their assigned MTFs, go to:
https://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/MHS-Transformation